Hunted: Wherever the Stars Are
by TheMarauderBandit
Summary: Book two of the Hunted Series. Ziva's pain is gone, along with John. But something happens to Tony, something that brings all pain back. Could it really be? Rated T for mild language and mild thoughts of suicide.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey! Here's the sequel :) The second of the Hunted series! Sorry for the wait. And I'm sorry for the boringness. I felt like describing. So I did. And I personally think that it takes away from the action scene. Please tell me what you think of it! ;) Buon divertimento!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize_

_Characters are as always very AU_

_~Bandit_

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><p>Hunted<p>

Wherever the Stars Are

Chapter I

Three figures could be seen striding across the wet pavement of the shopping center, if anyone was looking. But no one was. Not since the attack. The three mysterious characters turned out to be three NCIS agents. Ziva shivered as she glanced around the parking lot, abandoned and melancholy. The wind pulled at her hair, whipping it violently around her, the cold nipping at her ears and nose. She sneered at the taunting draft, and met Tony's eyes, and there was concern in them. She sneered at him too. Gibbs made a hissing sound, getting them to pay attention, as they moved forward. She pulled the NCIS jacket tighter around her as she inched forward, keeping her eyes trained on the approaching building.

The three of them looked up at the Macy's building, which loomed over them, as a drizzle started. What Ziva wouldn't give to be at home, watching some odd movie with Tony. Not that she enjoyed those moments or anything. But something had happened, that something had caused her weekend to be ruined. Someone had gotten into the Macy's and shot everyone in their path. Ziva leered at the bloody windows, where mannequins with bullet holes in them, lay in a messy heap, the glass door shattered. They were supposed to go into that?

Ziva met Gibbs and Tony's eyes and she nodded at some unspoken conversation. It was like a well-practices dance after that, all of them dancing with no partner. Ziva and Tony moved silently towards the shattered door, their eyes trained on the room. Gibbs slid towards the back of the building, his gun pulled at the ready. Ziva saw slight movement in the dark shadows of the building. She hissed in a cat-like fashion to get Tony's attention, and nodded towards the door, where Tony spotted the agitation in the darkness. Ziva nodded to him, and prayed that Gibbs would figure it out soon enough. That meant the attacker was still in the building. Ziva pulled out a flashlight, and indicated that Tony should go first. She shined it in the room, and caught sight of piercing green eyes, before the shadow moved. Tony held out his gun and shouted for the person to come out quietly, following the light Ziva was shining into the room. She wished it could cover the whole inside of the discarded building.

The sound of a gun being fired cut the air like a knife, filling Gibbs' ears as he lingered by the back door and it happened so suddenly. The person came whizzing out of the room, and shot by Gibbs, who in a moment of pure confusion, stood struck by confusion before he darted after the person, but he'd never be able to catch up. Ziva came racing from the front of the building her gun poised in position, when a sudden shock of terror washed over her. She watched the person run, her whole body frozen as things processed in her mind. Her eyes widened. It couldn't be possible… She heard Gibbs shoot a few blind shots at the escaping murderer before cursing, and she shook herself from her shock, and turned back, only to see something she'd never dreamed of seeing.

Gibbs stood panting at the edge of the road, watching the person fade from view, when he heard a scream. He spun on his heel, recognizing the scream to be Ziva's. He pointed his gun ahead of him as he raced down the hill, prepared to shoot at no cost. He froze when he saw Ziva hunched over a shaking body, and he sidled forward, as he heard Ziva start to cry.

"No…no," she muttered and flung her gun in anger and frustration across the parking lot, causing it to land and break feet from her. "Gibbs!" she wailed, turning on him, her eyes flecked with distorted rage and puzzlement. She moved back for him to see an injured Tony, laying in the doorway of the Macy's, his face splattered with blood, him whimpering as he attempted to breathe, a bullet planted firmly in his right side. Gibbs tore off his jacket and placed it under Tony's head.

"Ziva!" he turned to her, "Call an ambulance! Now!" she nodded through her bewilderment. "Come on, DiNozzo," Gibbs demanded. Tony opened his eyes with much difficulty, his breathing too shallow to be possible.

"Hey," Tony wheezed, gasping for breath before continuing in a forced voice, "Boss," he ended with a raspy cough. He looked terrified into Gibbs' eyes, "I'm sorry," he grunted as he shifted, his breathing terribly ragged. "For getting shot. He," Tony made an odd choking sound, struggling on the ground. Gibbs helped him sit up, Tony hunched his shoulders in pain, but the sitting position didn't help. "Was going to shoot Ziva."

Ziva turned, tears brimming in her eyes, as she heard her name, and looked at Tony struggling on the pavement with Gibbs, and she turned back around, stifling sobs as she continuing talking with the nurse.

"You did a good thing, DiNozzo," Gibbs admitted, his expression vacant as Tony collapsed back onto the asphalt, struggling to get a single breath again. Ziva snapped her cell phone shut and knelt down by Tony, her face pulled into a grimace, as she looked at his heaving chest.

"I…think I-I'm going to," he started shaking uncontrollably as the wind picked up, his eyes glazed over, "take a nap. Is that… okay, Boss?"

"You can't fall asleep," Gibbs commanded. Ziva looked into his pain-filled eyes. He tried covering his agony by giving her a sheepish smile.

"I-I am r-really tired…boss," he breathed another odd choking sound and curled into a slight ball as he started to wheeze.

"Tony," Ziva said firmly as his wheezes turned into deep coughs. She wiped the blood that had spluttered from his mouth with her sleeve and took his head into her hands, stroking his ice-cold cheek. "I'll kiss you if you stay awake. And I won't ever kiss you again if you fall asleep."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at her; she shrugged, indicating she thought it was the only way to keep him awake.

"I-is that a t-threat?" he coughed again, his wheezing jarring the air.

"Yes, Tony," she smiled, and ran her hand against his shaking arm, "And I'll stay true to it."

Tony looked into her eyes, and nodded. She placed her hands by his neck, and leaned closer to his face, her warm breathing causing his trembles to increase. She looked into his eyes, so afraid, so full of despair, and closed her own as she kissed him passionately. She pulled back, and stroked his cheek again, and found tears in her eyes again. She cursed and looked away for a moment, blinking them back. She looked back and saw that Tony's head was rolled to the side, his eyes closed peacefully, she pulled off her jacket and wrapped it around Tony, who was still shaking. Gibbs was kneeling next to him, cursing and trying to wake him up. But he wouldn't.

Ziva heard an intense roaring sound fill the air. She jumped up instantly, looking around, reaching for her gun. She looked to the sky as ran started to cascade down in sheets. Curses flowed from her mouth, and she screamed in rage, trying to let her anger out. "We have to get him out of the rain!" Gibbs barked at Ziva as he looked up from Tony's face.

She looked around the area, only seeing their car in the distance and the buildings that stood on the pavement. Their car was too far, there was no way they could drag him all the way there, and they'd have to cross the parking lot to get to the other buildings. She saw their only option. The Macy's building. She moaned and put her head in her hands.

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><p>Ziva looked around the building. Five minutes had passed since Tony had been shot, and the ambulance hadn't arrived yet. She sat with her legs twisted in a difficult position on the blood-stained floor next to a sleeping Tony, who, even in his sleep, was still struggling to breathe. She looked at Gibbs, who was kneeling by Tony's head, looking thoughtfully out the shattered door to the pounding rain.<p>

"Boss?" Ziva whispered, rubbing her arms. He snapped his head towards her, his blue eyes piercing her, "I think… I think I know how shot Tony."

"Well spit it out, David," he snarled.

"Well, the murderer was limping when he was running. Did you notice that?" Gibbs scowled at her. She cleared her throat, "Well, I think it was… well… John," Gibbs raised his eyebrows and chuckled cruelly.

"He's in jail, Ziva."

"Yes, I know, but what if they let him go? Like Ari?" Gibbs froze, and met her eyes.

"Get it out of your head. He's still in jail. That wasn't him."

"Yes, but who else do you know wants to kill me?" Ziva protested fiercely.

"How do you know he wants to kill you?" Gibbs chided.

"Well do you think it was just a coincidence that he_ only_ killed two marines? He knew that we'd investigate the scene," she snapped. She opened her mouth to continue, when a sudden blaring sound filled the air and she smiled as an ambulance rolled into view, its large tires splashing against the water-covered ground.

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><p>Ziva sat huddled in a plastic chair next to Tony's bed, running the events that had happened that night through her head. Had he really gotten shot? Was he really lying in a hospital bed with what seemed like a million machines breathing for him? Did she really think the attacker was John? Or was this all just a dream and she'd fallen asleep next to Tony while watching a movie again? She sighed and turned her head to Tony, who was still unconscious. She heard Gibbs' voice start to become slightly more raised as he argued with an FBI agent about who should've really taken the case.<p>

"You shouldn't have gone to investigate the case without telling us! It was obviously a case the FBI should have taken," the small FBI agent shook as he met Gibbs' eyes as he argued. He couldn't be older then twenty two. Ziva almost felt pity on him. But she couldn't.

"Wait, we have a very important warning from the FBI," Ziva directed her attention to the news reporter that was speaking on the TV hanging on the hospital wall. She noticed Gibbs had turned towards it too.

"Yes," another news reporter appeared on the screen, "We have been told that abusive criminal Jonathon Belgate has just escaped from prison, and is on the run. If you see him, please contact authorities immediately!"

Ziva's eyes widened as the TV screen showed a picture of John, his bright green eyes looking slightly crazed, a big grin painted on his face. She choked back a sob and turned to Gibbs, his face pulled into a deep look of vexation and outrage. Gibbs turned on the FBI federal agent, anger flashing in his eyes as Ziva let out a miserable cry, "And you didn't think it was important to mention it until now, after one of my agents was injured?" Gibbs gestured at Tony, who was lying, weak and clammy in the stiff hospital bed, as he shouted at the shaking federal agent.

"I can't believe you FBI agents," Ziva moaned from the corner, curled into the ball on the uncomfortable chair. What she wouldn't have given to suddenly be dead right at that moment. If she'd been killed, none of this would've happened. And she hadn't even seen the worst of it.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry for the suddeness. You usually learn the evil person in the second or third chapter. I'm sorry ;) Couldn't help it. As you know, I like to keep my stories short. Please review! It keeps me writing! **

**Here's a sneak peak for the next chapter:**

**She could feel herself being pried away from him, "No! No! I won't! Let me go! Leave me alone!" she dropped to her knees, the person still holding firmly onto her arms as she watched Tony being rolled away, tears flooding from her eyes, "No..."**

**Why am I so evil? Sorry for the weak start on the story. I hope you'll survive...?**


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey guys! I must admit, this is a pretty emotional chapter. I hope none of you have to cry, but keep a box of tissues nearby just in case. And have I ever told you how much I loved you all? No? Well I love all you readers and reviewers so much that it can't be explained in words :) Thanks! Oh yeah, and my W E and T keys weren't working for the first half of this chapter, so please excuse any mistakes. Buon divertimento!_

_Disclaimer: I dont' own anything you recognize_

_Characters are very AU_

_You have been warned ;)_

_~Bandit_

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><p>Hunted<p>

Wherever the Stars Are

Chapter 2

Deep breathing filled Ziva's ears, anxiety pulsed through her. Her eyes snapped open, and her bottom lip trembled as she looked around the dark hospital room for the source of the breathing. She checked her phone, which said that it was near two in the morning, and noticed it was the only source of light around. Not even the machines cast any sort of radiance. She felt a chill sweep through her as she realized that it was deadly cold. Puzzlement radiated off her as her eyes flicked back and forth. She turned around, wondering where the rest of her team was, but thought nothing of it. They'd probably gone home or something. But Gibbs had promised…

She reached to her pocket as she saw slight movement in the shadows, but found it's been taken from her. She breathing grew more rapid as she realized she had no way of protecting herself. Or Tony. She looked towards the bed, her eyes straining against the shadows, processing that she couldn't hear any sort of sound coming from where Tony should be, not even breathing. She crept towards the wall, her hands searching the smooth surface for the light switch. She flicked it on and the room burst with brightness. She instantly looked towards the bed. And screamed.

Tony lay on his back; his eyes open in surprise, though now they were filled with a vacant expression, and his mouth lay open, blood trickling out of the side. He had many cuts running across his face, and his nose was split open. A knife was lodging into his stomach, and the most haunting thing about it was his arms hung limply by his side, the hands cut off. Ziva choked back a sudden sob, and pressed herself against the wall, her heart fluttering, her eyes wide open as she searched the room for the killer.

The lights suddenly went out, and Ziva screamed again, trembling with pure terror. She desperately wished she had a knife or gun in her hand. Or a weapon of any sort. The lights flickered on again, flashing like strobe lights. Her face was screwed into a painful expression, she squeezed her eyes shut, and opened her eyes, to find herself staring into bloodshot, vivid green eyes. John. She whimpered as she was pressed into the wall. Her eyes flicked to Tony once more. John had killed Tony. A sort of bitter energy swelled in her.

She slid across the wall and tore off out of the horrible hospital room. She saw no one as she raced through the many hallways, and she could hear him limping after her. Her feet slid on the slick tile as she rounded a corner, and for a second she almost cried, but she got up nimbly and continued to run. Her heart continued to pound faster, and the lights went out again. She heard screams, but they were probably hers. She ran through the dark, desperate to get away, and ran headlong into a wall that had appeared out of nowhere. She held her numb head, where blood trickled down onto her fingers. She heard footsteps behind her, and felt fingers grasp at her arm.

Ziva twisted away from the grip and slipped into the large doorway that led to the cafeteria. The lights shimmered back, and another tragedy came into view. She avoided her eyes as she spotted Abby hanging from the high ceiling of the cafeteria, a rope twisted around her neck, but a knife had already severed her head. Ziva sobbed, tears mixing with the blood from the gash on her forehead. She felt her leg being pulled at, but she didn't waste time to look who it was. She ran forward, slipping on the puddle of blood, the horrible red liquid splashing onto her as she ran under Abby. She sprinted to the door, weaving between tables and chairs, but found that it was locked when she arrived, and she turned, still panting hard, and slid underneath John, who was approaching her with a triumphant smirk on his face. She scrambled blindly underneath one of the circular tables, and twisted around as John finally got a good grip on her leg, his meaty hands squeezing the leg so hard, she cried out just from the pain.

Damn he was fast for a guy who'd spent half a year in prison and who'd been shot in the leg.

"Hello, darling," John grinned at her. She trembled, but she met his eyes, obvious rage covering her face like a mask, and hissed at him like a cat before spitting in his emerald eyes. He growled, and punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped and started yelling curses at him. He whipped out a shining, silver knife, identical to the one planted in Tony's stomach. She looked at him with fearful eyes, closing her mouth firmly. "Now, you're not going to scream or yell, okay babe? It's going to be quick, and you won't feel a thing. I promise. Just don't com—," Ziva kicked him firmly in the stomach, cutting off him off mid-sentence.

"You killed Tony and Abby and God-knows who else. I will never go quietly," she snapped at him, mustering courage she knew she wouldn't have during other circumstances. She scampered out of his grasp once more, but she felt something hit her back, and she fell with a soft moan as pain spread through her muscles, and blood ran down her. She turned as she hit the ground, and saw John cackling maniacally still standing right next to the table, no knife in his hand. Ziva then understood that the horrible silver thing as embedded in her back. She felt the world around her start to spin, and dots began to threaten her vision. John leapt over the table with amazing agility and tore the knife from her back. She started to scream, horrible, ear-racking screams as John took the knife and started to begin to hack into her back repeatedly.

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><p>"Ziva!" she shot up, hitting her head against the bedside, a blood-curdling scream erupting from her mouth, "Ziva? Shh, calm down you're okay!" she turned and looked up to Tony, who was leaning over the side of his bed, his voice hoarse as he reassured her. Her breathing wouldn't slow down though. She got to her knees, and looked into Tony's concerned eyes, not daring to say anything as nausea washed over her. She'd never felt so afraid in her life. She'd been killed.<p>

"Oh my God," she muttered and placed her head in her hands, silent tears spilling as she recalled the nightmare, "I'm sorry, Tony," she took her head out of her cupped hands, "I had this horrible dream. John had attacked you while I slept, and he killed you, and then he chased me around, and he'd killed Abby too, and then he killed me."

"You're okay, Ziva, it was just a dream," he pulled against the many tubes connected to his arms and managed to get them free enough for him to put his hands around her face and caress her cheek. He took a ragged breath, the machines helping him, "Gibbs has been here all night too."

"Where is he now?" she whispered.

"He went to go get coffee," Tony reassured her, his voice calm as he pulled his arms away from her sullen face as she got up, using the side of the bed for support.

Gibbs burst through the door, a gun pointed at Ziva. Ziva jumped back and crashed into Tony, who grunted from her weight, "I heard someone scream," Gibbs' eyes darted around the room, still holding his gun out in front of him. Ziva blushed.

"I'm sorry, Boss, I had a bad dream," she whispered, her cheeks growing redder by the second. Tony chuckled, but his cough ended in a dry cough. Gibbs sighed and finally put the gun away. Ziva was reminded of the dream, and she reached to her hip, where she was relieved her own gun was. She smiled slightly, and returned her eyes to the doorway, where Abby stood her eyes wide. Ziva jumped up quickly, causing the place where the bruise was forming to ping with pain, and tackled Abby in a hug. Abby gave a small yelp of surprise, and Ziva continued to embrace her friend, "You're alive…"

Abby's eyes widened as she listened to Ziva's comment, "And why wouldn't I be alive?" Ziva just pulled away, grinned, and met Tony's eyes, her own glimmering with a faint trace of tears.

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><p>Tony thrashed up from his sleep, breaking tubes away; he sat up, bewilderment crossing his mind. He fell from the bed, hitting his bullet wound against the chair that sat next to it. Alarms went off in the distance, but to Tony they just seemed like mosquitoes in his ears. He struggled to get up, determined to be okay, but his breathing got shallower until he was gasping for breath, but he couldn't get any air. His glazed eyes rolled back into his head as tried to breath, and unconsciousness took over him.<p>

Ziva and Gibbs raced into the room from the waiting room, hearing the commotion, and Gibbs backed away as nurses flooded into the room. She was convinced he would die if she looked away, so she watched them go to work, and she could feel herself screaming as she was shoved out of the way, and two people told her she had to leave. Probably Ducky and Gibbs. But she wouldn't budge as she watched the nurses hook a shaking Tony to a breathing machine, his lips tinged with blue, and place him on a movable bed as the bullet wound started to bleed again. She started crying and she raced forward to his side, where the nurses told her to get out of the way. She didn't want to. She could feel herself being pried away from him, "No! No! I won't! Let me go! Leave me alone!" she dropped to her knees, the person still holding firmly onto her arms as she watched Tony being rolled away, tears flooding from her eyes, "No..."

She was dragged away from the room, and noticed it was Ducky who'd done so, but Gibbs had left her. She thought she saw amusement in his eyes, but it must have been a trick of the light. She curled into a ball at Ducky's feet and started to cry. What would happen to Tony?

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><p><strong>AN: Aww... told you it was going to be emotional... Hope you liked it! ;) Please review! It's makes me very very happy :)**

**Here's a sneak peak:**

**She smiled sheepishly as McGee and Gibbs stared at her in surprise. "Don't mind me," she said in a sing-song voice as she danced around the stuff and into the passenger side, "Just a tad bit nervous. You know," she buckled her seat belt and looked at Gibbs' who was looking at her incredulously, his hands still locked on the steering wheel, "Are you going to drive, or am I going to have to do that agian to convince you?" She slammed the door as he started up the engine, still peering at her with shock.**

**Haha, you guys have NO idea what's in store for you :)**

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><p>pirate-princess1: Thank you! :D I hope this is soon enough to please you? ;)<p>

Etain-Cassiopeia-Lestrange: As you can see *gestures to the story* I wasn't treasing you ;) Thank you :)

ForeignMusicLyrics: I know... I am evil, but thanks for the compliment ;) Thanks for reviewing :D


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